The Secret Language of Friends
The Secret Language of Friends — an illustrated stories story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Books.
Page 1
Rohan peered over the edge of their cloud-city, Aethoria, his toes tingling. "Bet you can't see Cloudbottom from here!" he challenged Ingrid, adjusting the goggles perched on his nose. Ingrid giggled, pushing a stray curl behind her ear as she joined him. "Of course I can! It's just...very small."
Page 2
Suddenly, a strange whirring sound echoed nearby. "What was that?" Ingrid asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. Rohan pointed towards a small, abandoned workshop tucked away near the edge of the city. Inside, amongst scattered tools, lay a peculiar device made of gears and shimmering crystals. "Looks like one of old Elara's inventions," Rohan said, remembering the eccentric inventor, "She always said she was working on a 'translator'".
Page 3
"A translator for what?" Ingrid wondered, her voice hushed. Rohan shrugged. "She never said. Maybe... for animals?" He picked up the device cautiously, its crystals humming softly. "Well," Ingrid declared, "there's only one way to find out. Let's see if we can get it working!" Rohan, remembering Elara's words, muttered, "As Da Vinci said, 'There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see.' Let's be the first kind, Ingrid."
Page 4
They tinkered with the device, adjusting gears and aligning crystals, but nothing happened. "Maybe it needs power?" Ingrid suggested, pointing to a small slot. Suddenly, Makena, a girl with short tousled strawberry-blonde hair, rushed into the workshop. "Guys! The Sky-Lily garden is wilting!" she cried, her face etched with worry. "If the Sky-Lilies die, part of Aethoria will fall!"
Page 5
"The Sky-Lilies?" Rohan exclaimed. "They're powered by the Whisperwind! But the Wind-Crystals are all charged." Ingrid noticed a small, dried Sky-Lily petal stuck to the translator. "Wait a minute... what if the Whisperwind isn't gone, but... changed?" she wondered aloud. "What if it's speaking a language we don't understand?" Rohan's eyes widened. "Maybe Elara's translator can help us listen!"
Page 6
They rushed to the Sky-Lily garden. The once-vibrant plants were now drooping, their leaves brown and brittle. "It's even worse than I thought!" Makena cried. Rohan connected the translator to a nearby Wind-Crystal, but instead of the usual hum, a series of clicks and whistles filled the air. "It's not wind... it's like... music?" Ingrid said, confused. Suddenly, the Wind-Crystal sparked, and the translator began to glow, but with an eerie, flickering light!
Page 7
"It's overloading!" Makena shouted, pulling away from the sparking crystal. "We have to disconnect it!" But Rohan held firm. "No! Listen!" The clicks and whistles intensified, forming a pattern. "It's... a song! But... it's sad!" Ingrid gasped. "The Sky-Lilies are singing! They're... thirsty? But not for water... for attention!"
Page 8
"Attention? What do you mean?" Makena asked, puzzled. Ingrid pointed to a group of children playing nearby, ignoring the wilting garden. "They used to sing to the Sky-Lilies, tell them stories! They've forgotten!" Rohan grabbed his flute from his belt. "Then let's remind them! If the Lilies sing a song of thirst, we'll sing them a song of friendship!" He began to play a lively melody, and, slowly, other children joined in, their voices rising in a chorus of laughter and song. As they sang, the translator's glow softened, becoming warm and golden. The Sky-Lilies started to perk up. "It's working!" Makena cheered.
Page 9
As the song reached its crescendo, the Sky-Lilies bloomed, their petals unfurling in a burst of color. The translator hummed contentedly, its crystals glowing steadily. "We did it!" Ingrid exclaimed, hugging Rohan. He smiled. "It wasn't the wind, it was the language of friendship. Sometimes, all you need to do is listen. "And as Helen Keller said, 'The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.'"
Page 10
Looking at the smiling faces of his friends, Rohan realised that the secret language wasn't about the device at all, but about paying attention to each other. "So," Makena asked, adjusting her hair, "what other secrets are the Sky-Lilies hiding?" Rohan grinned. "If we listen closely enough, I bet we'll find out!" But what if plants on other cloud-islands need help, too?
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
Questions and answers
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